Proof
by BandBfan24
Summary: Rossi feels he must show JJ proof of his feelings, and intentions.  Entry for the Chit Chat Corner's Happy New Year's Challenge, and also a little something for a past Fortune Cookie Prompt.  Will be 4 or 5 chapters.  Please enjoy and review.  Thanks.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: They are soooo not mine! But… aaahhhh… the things I could do with Agent Rossi! ::blushes::

A/N: So… this is my entry for the Chit Chat Corner's Happy New Year's Challenge. I also managed to squeak in something for the Fortune Cookie Friday Prompt for 12/31/2010. The items for the challenges will appear in later chapters, but I had to set the stage for my story first.

My pairing was for Rossi and JJ.

My prompts were a passionate kiss, a late Christmas gift, and a reunion of some kind. The rules stated that I could use 2 of the 3, so I went with **a passionate kiss** and **a late Christmas gift.**

What you need to know about the story… I'm playing loosely with the 'New Year' part of the challenge; my story takes place around July the year after Henry was born. This way Henry is about 7 months old. Also, Hotch appears in the first chapter, and he is a bit OOC. Not too much though. I think, just enough.

Enjoy and let me know what you think.

**Proof**

Chapter 1

Aaron Hotchner was not a stupid man. As he stood in the doorway of his co-worker and friend's office, he knew what fellow profiler was thinking about. Rather, _who_ he was thinking about would have been more accurate. Hotch heaved a sigh and stepped into the office of David Rossi.

"You really should really ask her out." Hotch told him bluntly.

Rossi looked up, startled. "Who?" He asked, his face and voice the picture of confusion.

Hotch wanted to roll his eyes. He gestured to the wrapped Christmas gift on Rossi's desk that the man had been staring at. "The person that gift is for."

"How do you know I haven't already?" Rossi challenged.

"It's late, you're still here even though most of the team has left. If you had already asked her out, you would probably have left already and be with her and her son."

"Who are you talking about?" Rossi asked innocently. This time Hotch gave in to the urge to roll his eyes, and sighed.

"You and I both know exactly who I'm talking about Dave. JJ. Before you try to blow me off, let me tell just say that it always amazes me that the people on our team think that they can hide things from me, or from each other. You are not as inscrutable as you like to think you are."

"I'm damn inscrutable." Rossi blustered.

"Not to me. It also amuses me to no end that as great a profiler as you are, you are still worried that she wouldn't be receptive to a relationship with you. You two have gotten very close since that little Cajun bastard took off without backwards glance." Rossi lifted an eyebrow at what Hotch said. "What like you haven't said or thought worse? Look, I care about JJ too, and I hate that he left her and his son high and dry. Granted, they are better off without him. They have you. You two have gotten close; she's happy spending time with you. Henry loves you. You love them both."

Rossi sat back and contemplated his friend. Hotch wasn't one to stick his nose in other people's business, and Rossi wasn't one to be so reticent to pursue a women or feel insecure. He definitely wasn't the type for talking about his feelings to another man, but… what the hell!

"I'm not sure that she feels the same way." He confessed to Hotch softly.

"You'll never know unless you ask."

"What if you're wrong?" His question, and tone of voice, betrayed the insecurity he felt.

"I'm not." Hotch insisted.

"But what if you are? What then? Then I could lose them both. I would rather things stay status quo than risk losing them altogether." Rossi tilted his head in curiosity. "Besides, when have you _ever_ encouraged me to pursue someone that we work with? If I remember correctly, and believe me I do, you actively discouraged it."

"Over the few years that you've been back, I've seen you do this… repeatedly." He gestured to the gift on the desk again. "You will sit here with a wrapped gift on your desk and stare at it. Each time it is a different gift. I don't the words to it, but those gifts tell a story."

"What happened to the profile code of not profiling each other?" Hotch snorted in response to the question.

"Can't help what I observe," he shrugged. "Dave, you may have played fast and loose in the past, but the women you were with always knew the score. I'm your friend and I'm very observant. Like I said, you're not as inscrutable as you seem to think, at least not to me. I see the way you look at her, and the way you act with her. It's different than anything I've ever seen from you before. The fact that you're so hesitant is telling in and of itself. You are a good man, Dave. You're good for her and Henry, and she and that little boy are good for you. I see the way she looks at and acts with you. If you put yourself out there, I promise you won't be disappointed."

"I…" Rossi began, but Hotch cut him off.

"Remember on the plane, when you told me about Emma and we talked about Haley." Rossi nodded. "You asked me what I was going to do to make sure that the purest thing in my life didn't get away. Now I'm asking you. I'm _telling_ you to ask her out. Do it for no other reason that to put yourself out your misery. You're pitiful man. It's truly pathetic how the mighty have fallen."

Hotch gave Rossi a rare grin. "Stop being a coward and grow a set man."

"My set's just fine." Rossi raised his middle finger. "Get out."

Hotch left with a chuckle and went to his office. Just as he sat down, Garcia walked in and caught him with the grin still on his face.

"Now, my liege, what has you grinning like the cat that got the canary? Is there time for me to get my camera? I must record this rumored, but never before seen phenomenon for posterity." Hotch shook his head, but his grin didn't fade for a moment.

"I may have done something that would shock you, but I do believe you would be proud of." Garcia clapped her hands, and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Do tell."

"Garcia…" his face became stern once again, as well as his tone. "If you tell _anyone_ about this… well, let's just say that very bad things will happen. I may not be able to wipe you off the grid, but the trolls in your office… that's doable."

Her eyes widened in horror at the threat. "Yes, I understand."

"I may have… furthered a project that you have been working on for months." Her brows knit in confusion. "I _may_ have tried my hand at a bit of matchmaking."

"But you just came out of Rossi's office and…" Garcia blinked at him from behind her colorful glasses. "You mean that you… Rossi… JJ… OH! MY! GOD!"

It only took a stern look from her superior for Garcia to slap a hand over her mouth, in an effort to hold the squeal in that had threatened to escape. Once she had herself under control, she removed her hand and grinned broadly at Hotch.

"You are my hero! Do you think it worked? Because, seriously Boss Man, I don't know how much more of this denial I can take. This ain't Egypt! I really don't know who is worse."

"Dave." Hotch answered quickly and definitively. Garcia snorted.

"I don't know, Sir! I've been working the JJ angle for a while now, and my gumdrop's one hardheaded woman."

Hotch held up his hand. He picked up the phone, and pressed a couple of buttons. "JJ, it's Hotch."

Garcia's eyes widened in surprise as she listened to her boss ask their media liaison a question, and then, oh so casually, mention that he'd just been in with Rossi. Rossi had mentioned he had a question to ask her, so since he had already planned on speaking with her; Hotch had graciously offered to let JJ know Rossi wished to speak with her.

"Jefe, you are truly amazing." She told him after he hung up. She rose to leave his office, but he stopped her.

"The plan could use just a bit more," he began. "Do you have plans for the weekend?"

"No, sir, I don't," she looked at him curiously.

"How would you feel about asking JJ if you could watch your godson for the night?" He asked with, what could only be described as a mischievous look on his face.

"Oh Great One, that is a wonderful idea," she grinned widely. "I bow to your expertise."

"Hey guys, what are you still doing here?" Garcia quickly, toned down her grin before turning to her friend. "Oh, Jayje, I was just getting ready to leave. What are you still doing here?"

"Hotch said that Dave needed to speak with me, and then I'm outta here."

"Isn't it almost time for you to pick up Henry?"

"Shit!" They both heard her mutter under her breath. "Hotch will you tell Dave that I'll call him later."

"No!" Garcia blurted, but quickly recovered. "I just had the greatest idea. It's been forever since I had my little godson over to my place. I'll go get him, and take him home with me."

"I can't ask you to do that Garcie."

"You're not asking… I am. I'm also going to ask if he can stay the night with me. He and I haven't had a sleep over in so long. Pretty please. You can come get him tomorrow afternoon or evening."

JJ thought how great it would be to have a night all to herself, had a momentary pang of guilt, and then squelched it. "That's fine with me. There should be enough of everything you might need in his diaper bag, and I keep an extra bag in my office for him. Grab that and, if you need anything just let me know."

"Oh, silly girl, that's what stores are for."

When Hotch saw that JJ was still hesitating, he spoke up. "Dave's waiting for you JJ."

"Okay, call me if you have any problems Garcie."

"Don't worry dear heart, my godson and I will get along just fine."

Garcia held her self in check until heard the click of Rossi's office door as JJ closed it. Then she spun quickly to her boss. "You are brilliant and so sneaky."

His lips twitched. "Shouldn't you hurry? You don't want to be late getting Henry."

"No sir, I don't. See you Monday."

"Goodnight, Penelope."

As Hotch walked into his office he had a thought. In for a penny, in for a pound. While he was in matchmaking mode, he made another quick call.

"Morgan, it's Hotch." "No, no case. I just thought you might want to know that Garcia is watching Henry for the night, and she could probably use a hand." "Why, would Lynch be helping her out?" "Oh, then you didn't know that they broke things off about a month ago?" "Sure, no problem, have a good weekend."

Hotch sat back in his chair with a self-satisfied grin. Things were definitely looking up.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: They are soooo not mine! But… aaahhhh… the things I could do with Agent Rossi! ::blushes::

A/N: So this is some of what is going through Rossi's head, and a little more background into his and JJ's situation. I apologize now, it is a short chapter. The next chapter will have some Rossi/JJ interaction.

Enjoy and let me know what you think.

**Proof**

Chapter 2

There were not many people that would consider David Rossi a coward. Even fewer would dare to say it to his face. Aaron was one of those rare few. The ironic thing was that Rossi wasn't upset at being called a coward.

A man didn't get to the age of fifty-one, complete a stint in the Marines, have successful careers as an author and FBI agent, survive multiple marriages, and divorces without having done a fair amount of self reflection. Rossi had done more than his fair share.

He was a coward. He knew it.

Somehow, over the course of the last couple of years since his return to the BAU, Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau had snuck into his head, and into his heart. A heart that he thought was hardened against such things. More than one marriage and numerous liaisons had seen to that. Then there were the horrors that he saw on an almost daily basis. He didn't just see them; he studied them, dissected them, and he even wrote about them in his spare time.

His world was filled with darkness, and yet, JJ found a way to shine a light that he was tempted to step into. Step into it he had, little by little, over the last year. However, there was only one more step to take. That step terrified him. For it wasn't just him and his heart involved, it was her and her son. One misstep and it would devastate the precious relationship they already had.

Although he had been drawn to her since day one, it was the last year that had brought them together in a wonderful friendship, and closeness. Hotch had been right. He and Jennifer had gotten very close since Will had left.

It had been just around this time a year ago that Jennifer had come to him, and asked to speak with him. She had needed his recommendation for a good lawyer. When he had pressed for a reason, she broke down in his arms and spilled out her story. Jennifer, _his_ Jennifer, was pregnant. Will, the little Cajun bastard, wanted her to give up her job to be the little wife and mother. When she wouldn't, he walked away, and hadn't looked back. She needed a lawyer to make sure that Will would never be able to walk back into their lives and disrupt it. Of course, Rossi had helped her. However, he didn't stop with providing his own lawyer's services.

Rossi stepped up, and was there for her every step of the way: doctor's appointments, midnight cravings, shopping, setting up the nursery, foot rubs, back rubs, etc. He was even in the delivery room with her. Seeing Henry David Jareau being born had been the single most intense, and emotional, experience of his life. And yet, it was all done under the guise of friendship. He never gave her a hint of the love he felt for her and her son.

Their friendship had only deepened from there; as did the love he felt for her, but couldn't bring himself to confess.

What held him back? Fear and his past.

He had been married, and divorced, three times. As Hotch had pointed out, he had played fast and loose in the past. Yes, the women he had been with had known the score, but he had certainly been a playboy. Although the rumors about him were wildly exaggerated, there was some truth to them.

It wasn't that he was ashamed of his past. It couldn't be changed, and he wouldn't if he could. It had brought him to where he was today. Rossi was worried that Jennifer wouldn't be able to see past the rumors, or the truth of his past, and be willing to take a chance on him. He had come up with a tentative plan to prove that he was sincere in his love and intentions, but couldn't bring himself to put the plan in motion. Hence, the late Christmas gift Hotch had seen on his desk.

He didn't doubt his feelings for Jennifer or Henry. He wanted them both in his life completely, and permanently. But would she doubt his sincerity? Would she look at his past and think that he was too much of a risk? Would she believe, that he knew with one hundred percent certainty, that she was the woman he would love until his last breath? Would she believe that he _knew_ she was the woman he had been searching for his entire adult life? It was the absolute truth, but would she be able to believe that? Would she believe that, in his heart, Henry was _his_ son, and that biology made no difference to him?

Fear and self-doubt kept him from finding out.

Rossi looked up as the woman in question walked into his office, shut the door behind her, and plopped down in one of the chairs across from him. He felt a sense of peace, and happiness, wash over him. It happened every time he was in her presence.

"So, Hotch said you wanted to ask me something." JJ said with a smile.

TBC

I know it's just wrong to end this short, little chapter here, but it had to be done. More to come.


End file.
